Prince & the New Power Generation The Sacrifice of Victor Lyrics

What is sacrifice ?
(We sacrifice) {repeat throughout song}
N.P.G. in mass attack, Sonny, if U please
Church if U will, please turn 2 The Book of Victor
We'd like 2 start at the top, if U don't mind.

(Go'n say it preacher) {repeat throughout song}
I was born on a bloodstained table
Cord wrapped around my neck
Epileptic 'til the age of seven
I was sure heaven marked the deck.

{Chorus :}

We sacrifice - I know joy lives 'round the cover (Towards the cell down on the corner)
We sacrifice - One day I'll visit her I'm gonna (Down on my block I'm just a loner)
We sacrifice - When she tell me everything (Tell me)
That's when the angels sing (Sacrifice)
That's when the victory is sho'nuff (Sho'nuff down with the sacrifice)
We sacrifice (Hit me).

Mama held up her baby 4 protection
From a man with a strap in his hand
Ask 'lil Victor 'bout pain and rejection
U think he don't when he do understand.

Chorus

S.A.C.R.I.F.I.C.E
Sacri, sacrifice
Sacrifice.

If U'll turn the page
1967 in a bus marked, "Public Schools"
Rode me and a group of unsuspecting political tools
Our parents wondered what it was like 2 have another color near
So they put their babies 2gether 2 eliminate the fear
We sacrifice - yes, we did
Fighting one another
We sacrifice - all because of color
The angel of hate - she taught me how 2 kick her
If she called me anything but "Victor" (U mean like "n_____" ?)
If the only thing that tells is Father Time
Then sacrifice is a m____ sublime - we love it
Listen m____, we sacrifice
Well, well, well, well (What is sacrifice ?)

Hold your text, Deacon
Never understood my old friends a laughing (Ha ha ha)
They got high when everything else got wrong (Pass the bowl...)
Dr. King was killed and the streets - they start burnin'
When the smoke was cleared, their high was gone
Education got important, so important 2 Victor
Even more important than Ripple and weed
Bernadette's the lady - and she told me (What'd she say ?)
"Whatever U do, son, a little displicine is what U need" (A little discipline is what U need)
Is what U need, U need 2 sacrifice.

Chorus

(What is sacrifice ?)
We sacrifice (Hey yeah)
S.A.C.R.I.F.I.C.E.
(Joy around the corner) {repeated til end}
(We sacrifice, we're gonna.. whoop !) (How can we..)
Excuse me, y'all
We don't mean 2 take up your time
But we got something heavy on our minds, whoo
Yes we do
Sometimes, U got 2 leave the one U love
Somebody, anybody, everybody wave your hand
Around every corner, there's another sacrifice
But U got 2 do the best U can
Say U got 2 go through it (Go through it)
We got 2 go through it, y'all
Everybody, yeah (Say it now, say it now, Tommy come on, say it now)
(Lord have mercy, my feet)
Lord, I might get tired but I, I gotta keep on
Walking down this road
Gotta keep on walking down this road - gonna reach my destination, yeah
My name will be Victor-or-or.

Amen !